Frequent Texters & Teen Troubles

For some teens, the cell phone seems to be permanently affixed to their hands. If she isn̵7;t talking to a friend, she is texting madly. According to a Pew Research report in October 2010, the average teen received around 1,500 texts per month. Girls tend to text more than boys, sending and receiving close to 3,000 texts a month. All this frantic typing can lead to problems.

  1. Texting Thumb

    • All that clicking with the thumbs on tiny keys can injure your teen̵7;s thumbs. Called ̶0;iPhonitis,̶1; ̶0;Blackberry-itis̶1; or ̶0;Texting Thumb,̶1; doctors call it tendonitis and teens just call it painful. Typing thousands of text messages forces your thumb into repetitive movement. This injures the tendons controlling the thumb. Dr. Eon Shin of Jefferson University Hospital suggests that teens put their phone down if they start experiencing pain. Teens that continue to text in spite of pain will only make things worse. Continuing to text can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and the need for hand surgery.

    Sleep Texting

    • Dr. Suzanne Phillips warns parents of the dangers of teens, texting and sleep. Her research found that 4 out of 5 teens slept with their phone on. This inability to disconnect means that teens are listening for the sound of new messages all night long. Constantly being on call to friends disturbs your teen̵7;s much needed sleep. Teens that are accustomed to responding immediately may go ahead and answer texts, without even waking. Teens may then engage in a phenomenon called ̶0;sleep texting.̶1; Habitual texters type into their phones with no memory in the morning. Sometimes the typing is gibberish, but other times it can be unspoken sentiments.

    Texting While Driving

    • Texting while driving means the driver must take his eyes off the road and focus on the phone just to read the message. Even texting with one hand requires the driver to look at the phone and give the car only a portion of his attention. In 2010, more than 3,000 people died on US highways because of texting and driving. The Federal Communication Commission reports that 40 percent of teens have been in a car while the driver has been texting. This puts the life of your teen in danger.

    What Parents Can Do

    • Set a good example. The FCC encourages parents to pull over and park if they need to use the phone. Parents should also set rules for the entire household regarding phone use. The FCC encourages the simple phrase ̶0;On the phone, off the road.̶1; But limits don̵7;t just apply to cars. Parents can put limits on teen phone usage. Make sure your teens turn off their phones for meals, family time and when they sleep. If the teen uses the phone for an alarm clock, use the ̶0;Do Not Disturb̶1; function that stops all incoming calls and texts. If you notice your teen hunched over her phone too much, encourage her to get involved in sports, dance or other activities. It̵7;s hard to answer a text when you are in the middle of a soccer field.

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